a different TaLe
by JWTel
Summary: Naruto abandons his dreams of being Hokage and heads to a new life of being a mercenary. He finds a group of people and finally fits in well, however, one day the group is desperately low on money and receive a mission to attack the hidden leaf village. Will Naruto actually go through with it? Can he face the people he abandoned and destroy them? Will decide on parings later


Chapter 1

A/N: Naruto, man, I haven't watched Naruto for a long time and I've forgotten a lot of it. My stories don't even relate to the original to begin with so don't expect anything canon. The characters may be O.O.C and I understand if you dislike that and don't want to read any further. I'm no author, never gonna be one so excuse my poor grammar and whatnot. I just enjoy writing at times so...I hope you enjoy what I enjoy.

Chapter 1  
The sun was setting. It's golden rays touching everything but the shadows and one of the shadows, unlike the rest, was animated, moving at a speed that was inhumane. Crossing tree after tree, rocks and pebbles, with the simplicity of jumping over objects that would strike fear for any ordinary man. Yet this shadow was just a boy, a prime age of twelve and while boys his age learned the crafts of their fathers such as fishing, welding, and other such, this boy was an orphan.

However, even with no father or mother, he still had a very important role to play.

He never touched a fishing rod, nor did he ever slammed a hammer on hot steel. No, this young boy was different. He is shinobi, a deadly assassin with the skills to kill many. To put everything, including his life, for the way of a ninja.

Chasing behind him with blinding speed that matched his own was a girl who was also chosen to be a part of this treacherous role. To walk the dangerous road that he walked in. But to even that extent, she was different from him. And she didn't necessarily take that too well.

"Naruto! Go back and apologize!" she yelled.

Her hair, the shade of pink from fresh sakura petals during spring and her clothes mimicked it beautifully except for the black, dark trimmings that hid her adolocent body. Almost like a stain to her self being, something so perfect, in a manner of speaking, to have such an attitude.

"Such a waste..." Naruto murmered sadly.

She wasn't of a noble birth, her clan name meant she was just another shinobi but she worked hard on her skills to be right beside the very best the clans had to offer with the exception of Neji and Sasuke. When she was younger, girls her aged had their first doll but she begged for a Kunai. Her father even thought it would've been best for her to take on a normal life, away from the stress of being a ninja, which is cuturally accepted in Konoha, at least to the common folks.

But she was determined. Even though her family didn't possess the skills of the Uchiha or Hyuuga, she still had the fire within her. The shinobi fire that lit in the heart of every shadow warrior. The only bright side in what is otherwise a very dark path.

During her first year as a student she studied. She wasn't 'just' smart which a lot of people assumed, there were countless of nights that she practiced her jutsu's, physically trained herself to the bone and ached her head with mountains of problems. Yet she was still miles behind Sasuke and Neji who specialize in jutsu's and Rock-Lee who specialized in Tai-jutsu. Any sane person would quit now, give up, but she didn't let it bother her.

Even unconciously knowing it, the girl befriended Rock-Lee, fell in love with Sasuke, and admired Neji and maybe she tricked herself into thinking it was for love, friendship, apprenticeship, when in all actuality it could be because she just wanted whatever they had to rub on her. Even just a little.

In that sense, she had a lot to relate with Naruto. Sure she didn't want his bad habits and carelessness to even touch her but she knew his struggles. Not to the extent of what Naruto really feels, but to the extent that she knows what it means to be...average. And desperately trying to make a change. If he gives up. If he lets go. Then it's just her...

The trees were becoming lesser and lesser as they made their way outside of the forest and more into the empty fields just outside of Konoha. She stopped. Her feet refused to move any further, mostly because it was getting her nowhere. There was only one plan left but it was a hit or miss. She was hoping it wouldn't result to this but there was no other option.

She had to capitalize on the one edge she had over the other shinobi's. Her strength. She clenched her hand to a ball as a vein popped on the side of her forehead, "I said..." she whispers. "Get over here!"

After the sharp yell, which took Naruto off guard for a moment, she slammed her fist on the hard ground, crumpling it on impact. The sharp cracks with earthquake-like qualities made its way to Naruto is blinding speed. It was foolish of him to think he had her beat.

Naruto was never the sharpest tool in the shed.

It wasn't like he couldn't process things in his head it was more of he didn't want to process some of the things that happened. It was a way to keep him sane. He yearned for attention and was denied multiple times in a manner of detest. No one liked him but no one truly disliked him as well. They were mostly just afraid of him. And that made it many times worse. If someone didn't like you, and in his case, it was everyone, then you could possibly just change yourself. Become a person who you're not. But when someone is afraid of you. Nothing. Nothing would change their mind.

You're nothing but a monster.

Those words were etched into his mind and their fearful eyes are forever in his memory. Engraved in stone. He will never forget them. Thats why...he needed to leave. He couldn't change himself enough, it was never enough. Thats why...he has to change the things around him.

The loneliness. That's something Sakura would never understand. Walking inside his empty apartment day in and day out. His smile fading every time the door closes. Why was he born? He always wondered. Was there a reason anyone was born? Two people must've loved each other enough to create him. But who was there to love him when he slept alone, ate alone, lived alone. No one.

Naruto sped up but the crackling of the rocks was close behind. At the rate it was going it was going to catch him. Naruto was very instinctual, he could make sense of the things happening immediately and draw a suitable action and the obvious choice was to jump into the air. Which he did.

The mastery over a jutsu that could multiply himself into several was a very useful jutsu indeed. He first leaped into the air and anticipated the rock emerging from the cracks to pierce him into two. Substituting himself with a clone was the obvious move, but what else did this girl plan? There was only one way to find out.

*poof*

A clone replaces him which prevents getting torn to shreds as the original hid with seconds to think. However, a second too late as the girl tackles him to the ground.

"Apologize to Sasuke-kun!" she demands.

Naruto struggles. "No!" He said. "The cocky bastard deserved it!"

"If anyone is acting like a child right now it's you!" She yelled back.

"I'm not a child! He's a jerk. There's no reason to turn down my idea!"

"It was a terrible idea."

"No it wasn't!"

The two wrestled some more until she was on top of him. Despite being pinned to the ground, Naruto stared at her. Even when angry, her long, petal colored hair hung from the side of her face. The sun radiated off her skin, making it difficult to focus on anything else.

"Just..." she said with annoyance. The kind of annoyance Naruto was used to. She had plenty to complain about. The excessive use of force, the constant running, and the wrestling on the ground. It was overwhelming. But suddenly her voice went soft.

"...say you're sorry."

Naruto realized. She just wanted things to stay the same. "Then we can get this mission over with...and just do whatever we were doing." she wants things to stay consistent. "Why can't you and Sasuke get along...? Even if he is rude, this is the first time you ran away." she isn't looking for change. "Lets get this mission over with? Okay? Then we can talk about how you ran away when a mission is on the line." The same routine...over and over again.

"Hate breeds hate...what don't you understand?" she said at last.

There's a lot of things he wanted to say.

*Why do you take his side all the time?!*

*What do you care if I'm there?!*

*Why would anyone care...if the boy without parents, the monster, the ticking time bomb just runs away?*

If anything, he's doing them a favor. He already knew the answer. After a moment, Sakura loosens up and Naruto seizes the opportunity. He quickly shoves her aside, pushing her off of him.

"It's because they don't." he said to himself.

Sakura looked up, confused.

"You understand, right? The villiage is dangerous for me. I know my ninja way but I'm not suicidal. No one wants to die. I have no other choice. I have to find someplace that accepts me." He looks down on her. For the first time in her life she felt so small compared to him. Was it the decisiveness? She didn't know.

The fire in his eyes are still there but the wind is blowing at a different direction.

"Change them!" Sakura yells. She didn't know it but tears was starting to pour`  
"W-Why...don't you just change them? Why don't you just change what people think about you? Don't let them define who you are."

"Maybe..." Naruto looked down, his face hidden under the shadow of his hair, "Maybe you're right. Maybe in a different world I sacrifice myself so much that the people are forced to look at me as a hero. Maybe I could become Hokage..."

Naruto pushed out his hand, offering to help her up. Sakura bit her lip. She treated him so badly yet he's trying to help her. This isn't the first time he did this. She couldn't help but feel pity for him. Is this how he plans to live his life? Sure the rewards are slim but great. To become Hokage, when everyone doubted you. To be the strongest ninja to ever live. It's very well possible but that road is filled to the brim with thorns and blood. It's not a very pretty sight indeed.

Naruto must've thought the same because as she grabbed her hand and the moment she felt her body lifted into the air. Naruto threw his free hand in a shape of a ball right into her face knocking her unconcious.

"Maybe in another life..." Naruto said quietly as he walked away to a different world. Little did he know what awaited him thereafter.  
_


End file.
